Mashriq
All countries-
Ten years after the Arab Spring
Arab women's rights, a genuine lifestyle revolution?
Arab women played a leading role in the protest movement of 2011. Since then, ongoing social transformation has had a considerable impact on their lives. What is their assessment of the situation ten years on? Claudia Mende spoke to women from Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco
-
Qantara.de - Dialogue with the Islamic World
Editor's picks
-
The alchemy of fasting
Ramadan – a feast for spirit and soul
In Islamic mysticism, Ramadan is more than just a period of prescribed abstinence, signifying an opportunity for inner contemplation. Marian Brehmer explores the spiritual dimensions of the month of fasting against the background of Sufism
-
Refoming Islam: Muslim and liberal
In our modern world, what constitutes contemporary Islam?
Liberal Islam: everything revolves around the Koran. In the search for a liberal interpretation, peculiar constructs occasionally emerge. By Alexander Flores
-
Arab Spring
10 years revolution in Egypt – like Mubarak on steroids
Mass protests began in Egypt on 25 January 2011. They triggered the overthrow of long-time ruler Mubarak. Ten years later, many human rights activists and journalists are in prison. The Sisi regime is far worse, observers say
-
Arab Spring
10 years revolution in Egypt – like Mubarak on steroids
Mass protests began in Egypt on 25 January 2011. They triggered the overthrow of long-time ruler Mubarak. Ten years later, many human rights activists and journalists are in prison. The Sisi regime is far worse, observers say
-
Culture and innovation in the Arab world
Where are the new Arab icons?
As the photo of Fairouz talking to French President Emmanuel Macron spread around the world, many asked if Arabs today had any contemporary stars of Fairouz's standing. In this essay for Qantara.de, Khaled Al-Khamissi answers this question and asks whether there is a place for up-and-coming stars in a world that is so hostile to creativity and originality
-
Migrants and entrepreneurship in Germany
Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci – a rare success story?
When news broke that a vaccine against COVID-19 developed by a Turkish-born couple in Germany had promising results, many media reports placed the ethnic background of these scientists above the importance of the story itself. While migrant entrepreneurship might still be regarded as something rare in Germany, research shows that more and more migrants are launching their own businesses. By Sertan Sanderson
-
10 years of Arabellion
The buds of the Arab Spring
Ten years after the start of the Arabellion in North Africa and the Middle East, many view the movement as a failure. But rather than being over, it has now entered a more mature phase with new forms of protest. An assessment by Claudia Mende
-
Authoritarianism and underdevelopment in the Islamic world
Islamic clerics and statesmen in an unholy alliance
U.S. political scientist Ahmet T. Kuru from San Diego State University traces historical developments in the region and seeks the causes behind today's problems. Kuru received the American Political Science Association Award for his book in 2020. Musa Bagrac read it for Qantara.de
-
Arab reactions to the U.S. presidential election
"The world needs a break from the Trump era!"
Just like the rest of the world, the Arab region and Arabic-language media have been watching spellbound over the last few days as U.S. President Donald Trump was voted out of office. Christopher Resch summarises some of the editorials for Qantara.de
-
COVID-19 and fake news in the Middle East
Arabs find comfort in coronavirus conspiracy theories
In the Arab region, fake news relating to COVID-19 claims that people who have been cured "convert to Islam" or that "Muslims are immune" to the disease. Long-established conspiracy theories have a bearing on the rumours. Another contributing factor is that people have no faith in the authorities. By Mona Naggar